Czechs cancel U.S. racist's lectures

PRAGUE, Czech Republic, April 21 (UPI) -- Former U.S. Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke was banned from delivering lectures at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, university authorities said.

Michael Kocab, outgoing Czech minister for human rights and minorities said Duke, former leader of the U.S. white supremacist movement, came to the Czech Republic for a lecture tour at the invitation of Czech neo-Nazis, Prague Radio reported Tuesday.

Kocab said Duke's planned tour of Czech universities was alarming.

Czech university authorities in Prague and Brno canceled Duke's lectures scheduled for next weekend.

Duke's visit came at the time of high political tensions following Saturday's neo-Nazi demonstration in the northern Czech town of Usti nad Labem and an assault on a Romany family in the northeastern Czech Opava region.